Compare the2023 Audi Q3VS 2023 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Q3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The RDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and RDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q3 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The RDX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Q3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The RDX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q3. But it costs extra on the RDX.

Both the Q3 and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q3 is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Q3	RDX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	235/363 lbs.	328/464 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	346	353
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	83 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	261/249 lbs.	362/441 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q3 is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Q3	RDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	130 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	52 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	485 lbs.	704 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the RDX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

There are over 12 percent more Audi dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Q3’s warranty.

Reliability

The Audi Q3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the RDX’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 2 places higher in reliability than Acura.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q3 gets better mileage than the RDX:

			MPG
Q3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
RDX
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q3’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

	Q3	RDX
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.4 inches

The Q3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the RDX are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops much shorter than the RDX:

	Q3	RDX
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Q3’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RDX A-Spec’s 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the RDX A-Spec AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Q3 is 10.8 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q3’s rear seats recline. The RDX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Ergonomics

The Q3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The RDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Q3 Premium Plus has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The RDX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Economic Advantages

The Q3 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Q3 will retain 50.79% to 50.87% of its original price after five years, while the RDX only retains 47.35% to 49.21%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the RDX because typical repairs cost much less on the Q3 than the RDX, including $145 less for a muffler, $226 less for front brake pads, $223 less for a fuel pump and $118 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi Q3 will be $4425 to $10963 less than for the Acura RDX.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q3 and the Acura RDX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q3 outsold the Acura RDX by 317 units during 2022.